Blood pumps can be used to provide mechanical assistance to the heart. The left ventricle pushes blood out of the heart, through the aorta, and into the body, while the right ventricle pushes blood from the body to the lungs. Since the left ventricle bears the majority of the heart's load, it often is the first part of the heart to require assistance. Ventricular assistance can be provided by, for example, a pump that is implanted in the abdomen in parallel with the cardiovascular system. In many cases, an inflow conduit is attached to the left ventricle, and an outflow conduit is attached to the aorta. While some blood can follow its normal route out of the ventricle and into the aorta, other blood can pass through the pump, receive a boost, and be pushed into the body via the aorta.